Why can’t I lose weight?
This is a question that I’m sure most of us have asked ourselves at some point. We try eating better and moving more, but the weight just won’t shift like it used to! What is going on!? Many women will then increase their cardio and decrease their food, putting their bodies under more stress as they become more desperate to get in shape for Summer…and still the KGs won’t budge!
The cravings kick in, you have no energy and you seem to be constantly in a bad mood. It’s a vicious cycle and a recipe for disaster! This becomes so frustrating that so many women become disheartened and give up! What many of us don’t consider is that the body is a very finetuned machine, and if hormones and/or gut health are imbalanced, it causes a domino effect of functional issues, which in time will make that bikini body very difficult to achieve.
There are many factors that can contribute to these imbalances including stress, poor diet, poor sleep and sedentary lifestyles. Years of poor habits eventually take their toll and our health suffers. How can we keep abusing our bodies for so long and then expect them to respond positively? Would you expect your car to run smoothly if you were filling it up with poor quality petrol and driving it like a hoon every day?? A healthy body will function better and will reward you by looking better!
So, what I’m trying to say is to aim for health first, rather than a number on the scales, and your body will thank you! You will feel better and you will start losing that weight you have been struggling to shift.
Fat-loss is far easier to achieve when you have good health, the more stress you/your body is under, exposure to toxicity and poor nutrition choices you have, the more imbalances that can be caused and more reasons for fat-loss to stall.
So where do I start?
Here are a few simple tips to get your body on the way to being happier and healthier:
Consistency is the key!
1) FIX YOUR NUTRITION
Firstly, start by eating good quality whole foods and drinking more water! People seem to get so confused about what to eat. There are so many ridiculous fad diets going around, so this really is no surprise.
It’s actually quite simple: Eat food from the land! Don’t eat anything that comes from a packet! Eat quality meats and vegetables and nourish your body with what it needs. Eat 4 meals per day, keep your blood sugar stable and say goodbye to the 3pm crash. I promise that you will have much more energy, those sugar cravings will soon disappear, and your skin will even improve!
Eating good food doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless. If you think outside the square, you will find that there are many dishes that you can make that you will love! I like keeping my foods interesting so that I don’t get bored. I have lots of yummy dishes on rotation in my food prep including casseroles, meatballs, stir fries, Barbecues and roast dishes. It’s best to consider this as a lifestyle change, not a diet!
When you eat your meals, don’t rush them, chew properly and enjoy your meal. Focus on what you’re doing so that your body can digest your food well, don’t mind-less eat, eg while driving or watching TV – you will find you eat MORE and are less satisfied from your food.
We need water to aid digestion, so make sure you drink enough! It’s also quite common for women to under eat. This will not help you lose body fat and will cause havoc with your hormones. You will be surprised at the quantity of GOOD food you can eat while still losing body fat. When I started increasing my protein and eating good quality foods a few years back, things started to turn around.
Initially, it was a struggle to eat so much more food than I was used to, but after a few weeks, I got used to it and started to become more hungry. My body composition started changing and I started to learn the importance of nourishing my body appropriately.
2 ) FIX YOUR SLEEP
It is so important to improve your sleep quality.
Your body rests and repairs while you sleep. If you don’t get good sleep, how can you expect your body to function well? Try and unwind a couple of hours before bed by getting off your phone, iPad or laptop. Try reading or meditating or even just zoning out and watching your favourite show on Netflix. Try anything that helps you chill and prepares you for a restful night sleep.
Noting the importance of good sleep.
Growth Hormone, Thyroid hormones, Cortisol, are all affected by poor sleep. One night of poor sleep gives you the carb tolerance (insulin sensitivity) of a type 2 diabetic. Appetite and Fat Metabolising hormones are also affected by poor sleep.
My Recommendations
Have an unwinding “ritual” before bed, eg: Dim the lights drink camomile tea, meditate, supplement with magnesium, our GABAMAG is a best seller for good reason! Be in bed by 10 or 11 pm (aim to sleep uninterrupted from 10pm-6am or 11pm-7am) No light or noise in the room (set up like the bat-cave) Avoid things like your iPad, mobile phone / Instagram/social media scrolling etc before bed, the artificial light will inhibit your melatonin production and make it harder to fall asleep
3 ) TRAIN! (there is a difference between “training and exercise”)
Most women believe that cardio is the best way to lose body fat.
It is good to start moving however you can, but many women don’t realise the importance of weight training in achieving that bikini body.
I used to do cardio for years! I maintained my body weight and stayed in reasonable shape, but when I started weight training was when I really started to see changes in my body shape.
My weight didn’t actually change much, but my body composition improved heaps! We want to be lean, toned and healthy, not skinny-fat! I finally started to see my legs tighten up and take shape as well as getting some shape through my arms and shoulders, this is when I got hooked! This does not mean that you shouldn’t do some form of cardio! Like most things in life, a balance is best!
A combination of both weights and cardio (separate workouts however not “classes” ) will get you on track to achieving the body you’re after! ….. Oh, and No you won’t look like the Hulk if you start lifting weights! Women genetically do not have enough testosterone to make this “magically happen!”
This may seem so overwhelming to start, but we all started somewhere and know that you’re not alone in the struggle. If it all seems too much, start by improving one thing at a time until you are ready to fully commit to your lifestyle change. A good place to start might be increasing your water intake, then improve sleep, step by step focus on your food! Increase your daily steps etc.. Remove inflammatory foods and see how you feel! Things like Wheat, Sugar, Gluten & Dairy, you’ll be surprised how much clearer your mind is, how less bloated you are and how your digestion will improve.
4 ) HIRE A COACH: The best athletes world wide In any sport all have their own coaches
DO IT! You will wonder what took you so long to start! Remember that consistency is key to long term improvements! A coach will take out all the guess work, and guide you down the path you need so much faster AND safer than doing it on your own, truly accelerating your results.
WRAPPING IT UP:
Aim for:
– .500ml of water per 10kg of body weight
Regular meal frequency
Protein every meal
Vegetables every meal
A regular sleep and wake time daily with 7-9 hours sleep every night.
DO Strength train a few times per week
DO Steady state cardio, it’s great for visceral fat-loss, lowering blood pressure, lowering cortisol (your stress hormone)
If you need help with your nutrition, want to optimise your sleep, manage stress and learn to train efficiently and most effectively, look and feel your best, head over to www.bodyseek.com.au and take the first steps to create the new you.
My specialty is weight training for women, whether you’re a fitness competitor or a complete rookie to the gym, I know when to push when to pull back and how to coach and motivate you to get the best from every session you do.
I love nothing more than seeing my girls turn from timid little mice into animals in the gym! From squatting your bodyweight and more, deadlifting like a boss or doing chin-ups like a gymnast, let alone dropping your post-baby bodyfat and getting your body back to its best, its all possible with the right guidance!
You’ll be surprised at just how empowering weight-training is for women, so let ME empower you!
